Cane cutter



Dec. 23, 1930. w, IH MQRGAN 1,785,743

- 0mm CUTTER File D 1 1924 zsheets-sheet 1- Dec. 23, 1930. w. H. MORGAN 8 CANE CUTTER Filed Dis 19. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2" Patented Dec. 23, 1930 I ED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM HENRY MGEGAN, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

. TO THE MORGAN HURRYCANE COMPANY, 012 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or FLORIDA CANE CUTTER I Application filed December 19, 1924. Serial No. 756,992.

- This invention relates to improvements in Jcane cutters for cutting sugar cane stalks into relatively short lengths.

It is often the practice in treating sugar cane stalks for; the extraction of the juice therefrom, to cut the stalks. into relatively short sections at an early stage in the treatment of the stalks in order to enable the stalks operations.

One obgect of the present invention is to to be more eiiiciently treated in subsequent improve the construction and mode of operation :of sugar cane cutters of the character above described and to provide an improved Construction by which sugar cane stalks may be cut into relativel short len ths in an efficient and reliable manner.

Another object of the invention is to producea mechanism by which sugar cane stalks may be rapidly and efliciently cut into short lengths .and delivered into a suitable receptacle I Astill further object of the invention is to produce an improved mechanism by which sugar cane stalks may be cut into relatively short lengths and trash separated therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a mechanism by which sugar cane stalks may be readily cut into short lengths in the field. r I 3 WVi'th these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features, constructions and. comblnations of parts hereinafter,

I describedand particularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will be read ily understood and. appreciated by those skilled in the art.

7 I The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawings'illustrating the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the-constructions therein shown. p 1n the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of my improved apparatus; r

,FigureQ is a view in =plan of the same,the rear end of the main frame and the'cut stalk re'ceiving cart being omitted, and a Figure 8 1s {UV-16W v in transverse section of the apparatus.

'8 which, meshing with pinion 9, drives shaft 10 which latter carries a series of cutters or saws 11 located in the hopper 12. The parts of the apparatus are supported on a main frame 18 which is mounted to travel on the ground wheels 14.

The shaft 10 is connected by gear 15 with the gear 16 keyed to shaft 17 which carries a series of feeder blades'18, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, the latter adapted to move between the saws or cutters and also across the outer faces of the end saws. The feeder, composed of the blades 18 and its shaft, is also located. in the hopper 12 and rotates in a direction opposite that of the cutters, as

shown by the arrows in Figure 3 so that the stalks fed into the hopper 12 will be positive- 1y carried and forced into contact with the cutters or saws 11 and cut up into short sections, preferably about six inches in length. The axis of the feeder shaft 17 as shown in Fig. 3, is locatedin the same horizontal plane as the axis of the cutter shaft 10 and the feeder blades 18 will cause the stalks to be delivered to the saws substantially at or above a horizontal plane containing the axis of the saws. This is important in securing a highly efiicient cutting action of the saws.

The cutter and feeder shafts are located lengthwise of the main frame and the hopper 312 and main frame 13 support the endless conveyor frame 19 and endless conveyor 20 both of which are located at right angles to the cutter. The endless conveyor frame 19 is preferablycnlarged at its lower end to form a hopper asshown at 21, to receive the stalks as they are thrown onto the conveyor. This conveyor frame is preferably wider than the longest length of stalks so that the latter through which the out stalks and heavier macan be'fed into hopper 12 parallel with the axes of the saws and feeder, and the conveyor which'may be ofany approved form as shown comprises endless belts or chains 20 and fired platforms 22 located respectively between and at the outer sides of the said belts or chains soas to support the stalks irrespective of their lengths andconvey and deposit them into hopper 12. The endless belts or chains are preferablyprovided at short intervals with the projections 23 which engage the c,

stalks and carry them up to the discharge end of the conveyor. The belts or chains atlthe upper end of the conveyor pass respectively about pulleys or sprocket wheels mounted on. shaft 24 which is driven by a belt- 26 passing over a pulley 27 on the feeder shaft 17.

At theopposite'or lower end of the conveyor 20 the belts or chains pass about pulleys or sprocket wheels mounted on the shaft 28 journalled in the lower end of the conveyor frame 14 of which being castor wheels to permit of the free turning of the apparatus, and the entire apparatus is drawn through the cane field by bulls or by tractors of any type connectedup with the front end 29 of the appa ratus. The base or bottom-of the hopper 12 is composed of an endless conveyor of any suitable type which latter is mountedon the shafts 41 and 32, the former of which is driven through a belt 40 as shown in Figurel from the cutter shaft 10. I Y The cutter shaft 10 is provided at its rear end with a bevel pinion 33 meshing with a similar pinion 34 on shaft 31 carried by the hopper 12. This shaft is provided at one end with a pulley 35'which is connected by belt with the shaft 41 which as before stated carries one end of the horizontal conveyor 30 forming the bottom of the hopper V 1.2. Shaft 41 carries a gear or pulley, which is connected,'by a gear or belt or sprocket chain withithe shaft 42, which supports the lower. end of'the rearwardly 'a'nd upwardly,

projecting elevator conveyor 20 the upper vend of which'is carried by the shaft 43. The

upper or rear end of the-combined elevator and conveyor 20 pro ects beyond the ma n frame 13 so as to discharge the cutst-alks into tie receptacle or cart 44. This elevator and conveyor 20 is carried bya frame 45jprovided at its upper end with'a-fixed bottom plate 46 preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 1.

' nates at the rear of the cart 44. At the front 20 and isarrang'od to dis cutstalks and heavier material terial carried up by conve 20 willdrop directly from said conveyor into cart Secured to the mainframe 131s the bl wer 47 the discharge outlet .48 of which. termiof con eyor' r e a blastof nates just below the upper e drop tl the opening 47 into. the cart, thus 'sepuatin the cut stalksfroin theleaves and trash.

The cart 44 preferably comprises a frame 47 mounted on two wheels 48 and 're .lC-Vable body'adapted to be lifted by a crane or other-means onto a car or larger cart transportation to the millorcentrale; The

frontend of the frame 4"? of the cart is del he ooening 4"! against the con' yor, as I tachably connectedat 49 to tl e main frame 13 of the, apparatus, by a coupling pin, whereb 7 a filled cart can be readily removed and an empty one attached.

The material to be out is fed by handinto the hopper 21 and is carried by the fingers or projections 23 on the conveyor 2011p into the hopper 12 and is dump'ed onto the feeder.

The latter carries it' in contact with'the cutters or'saws which cut the stalks into short lengths which drop onto the co'nveyorBO and are carried bythe latter to conveyor 20 .7

which as before explained carriestheinaterial up and discharge the same above the cart 44. The air blast from blower 4'? strikes the material as it leaves theconveyor, but is not parts which are blown over. inclined plate or bottom 46 of the frame 45 and' fallonto the ground at the rear of the apparatus, while the cut stalks drop into the cart 44; When a cart is filled it can be uncoupled and an empty cart substituted, so hat but comparativelylittle time islost chan 'in carts. The a paratus is supposed to'follow a'harvester, but 7 it may be used in a field where the cane is out by hand in I the ordinary manner, or the ground wheels may be omitted. and the apparatus be placed on a stationarybase: It isevident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative-arrange 1113111101? parts shown anddesc ibed without.

departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention hence Iwould havel t understood that Ido not wish to conlineinyselfto the exact construction andarrangementof parts shown andidescribed but, s v s .Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Let- 'tersPatent is 1. In a stalk cutter, thecombination of a frame, a hopper on said frame," stalk cutting apparatus within said hopper,means for de- 7 livering the stalks to the cutter, a rear end conveyor, a trash guiding device at the rear of the rear end ofsaid conveyor and a blower adapted to discharge an air blast between the discharge end of the rear conveyor and the trash guiding device.

2. In a stalk cutter, the combinatlon of a 7 frame, a hopper on said frame, a cutter in said hopper, a side conveyor for delivering the stalks to the hopper, a rear end conveyor for discharging the cut stalks and trash, a

* blower for discharging an air blast against the material as it leaves the rear end conveyor and a receptacle connected to the machine frame for receiving the cut stalks.

f 3. Ina stalk cutter, the, combination of a vehicle frame,a hopper on said frame, a cutter in said hopper, a side conveyor for delivering the stalks to the hopper, a rear end conveyor for discharging the cut stalks and trash, a blower for directing an air blast against the material discharged from the rear end conveyor, a receptacle connected to the vehlcle frame in a position to receive the {cut stalks and an engine for actuating the cutter and conveyors.

. 4;. The comblnatlon with a vehicle mounted to travel and provided with a hopper, a

conve or aro'ectin at one side of said vehicle and adapted to elevate the previously harvested stalks, up and over the vehicle and d scharge it into the hopper, a cutterwith- 1n the hopper and in a position to engage the stalks and cut them into short lengths, a conveyor on said vehicle forconveying the cutstalks in the direction of the length of the vehicle, and a detachable wheeled cart located under the discharge end of said latter conveyor and adapted to receive the cutstalks, the said cart being detachably con nected' with the vehicle and so located that it 7 can be disconnected therefrom and an empty cartsubstituted Without removing or adjusting any parts of the vehicle or the parts carried by the latter. 5..The combination with a vehicle mounted to travel and provided with a hopper, a

7 conveyor. projecting at one side of said vehide and terminating over the hopper so that the harvested cane may be fed to the conveyor and deposited directly into'the hopper, a cutter shaft extending lengthwise of the vehicle,

- a series of parallel disk shaped cutters on tached and an empty cart substitutedwithout removing or adjusting any parts of the vehicle.

1 The combination of a vehicle mounted r to travel and provided with a hopper, aconveyor at right angles to said vehicle and projecting at one-end over one side of the vehicle, with its other end terminating over said hopper so that the cut or harvested full length stalks can be readily gathered up, deposited on the conveyor and transferred by the latter to the hopper in the direction of the length of the latter, a cutter carrying shaft extending lengthwise of the vehicle and provided with a series of spaced cutters for cut ting the full length stalks into short sections, a feeder in the hopper for forcibly forcingthe stalks against 'thefcu'tters and for removing the cut sections from between the cutters, and a detachable car t mounted. on wheels independently 'of the vehicle and connected with the latter in a position to receive the cut stalks, means for delivering the stalks cut by the cutters to the cart, the said vehicle being so constructed that the cart can rest thereunder and be replaced by an empty cart withoutadjusting or rearrangingany parts of the vehicle.

7. The combination of aframe, a hopper thereon, an endless conveyor projecting over one side of the frame, a hopper on the frame and adapted to reoeivethe full length stalks deposited to the conveyor, a hopper on the frame arranged with its longitudinal axis extending in the direction of the length of the frame, a cutter shaft in said hopper, a series of cutters on said cutter shaft and arranged at right angles to the frame, a feeder within the hopper andadapted to force the full length stalks between and through the cutters, and a detachable wheeled receptacle adapted to be connectednp with the frame in a position to receive the cut stalks from the hopper, the said frame so constructed and the wheeled receptacle so located that the latter can be removed and an empty one attached without adjusting or disconnecting any parts of the frame, means for delivering the stalks cut by the cutters to the Wheeled receptacle, and means carried by the frame for actuating the conveyor, cutter and feeder.

8. In a cane stalk cutter, the combination of a frame mounted on wheels, a hopperon said frame, an inclined conveyor projecting over one side of the frame and terminating at its upper end above the hopper, cutters for cutting the stalks delivered to the hopper,

a conveyor constituting the bottom of the on said frame, a series of cutters in said hop per for cutting the full size stalks into small sections, a side conveyor extending over one side of the frame and terminating at its other-end over the hopper, a conveyor extending lengthwise the frame for conveying the cut stalks rearwardly and awheeled cart attached to the frame and located under the rear end of the lengthwise conveyor.

1 10. In a stalk cutter, the combination of a frame mounted on wheels, a hopper on said frame, cutters located to receive the full length stalks and cut them into smaller lengths, an inclined conveyor projecting over one side of said frame with its discharge end over the hopper, the said side conveyor having its; long axis at right angles to the longaxis of the frame and hopper, a conveyor for discharging the short length stalks and trash from the hopper, and air blast apparatus adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor for separating the light trash from the cutstalks.

11. In a cane stalk cutter, the combination of a series of spaced rotary cuttingdevices arranged to rotate in substantially parallel planesfor-cutting the cane stalks intorela-v tively short sections, means fordelivering the cane stalks tosaid cutting devices in positions transverse to the planes ofrotation of said devices, moving conveying means for re- 1 ceiving the cut sections from said cutting devices'and conveying the same inthe general direction in which the axes of said cutting devices extend, and means for delivering an air a blast to the cut stalks in a direction transverse to the direction of the movement of the i stalks as the stalks are discharged'from said conveying means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this, specification ILLIAM HENRY MORGAN. 

